These are amazing! I guess back in the day these are what the Ludwig Sales People traveled with to show off the different color options. Black Keys drummer Pat Carney is playing one, and Ludwig is re-introducing the finish. Very Cool!

I don't think I would BUY ONE, but if I was touring, and a Salesman Kit was the one used for the night, or a TV appearance, I'd totally dig it.

I WOULD buy one of the Red, Silver, Blue kits though. That's pretty rad, but I have 4 kits now that I'm not parting with.... Gotta stop somewhere!

One of my friends re-built a Ludwig kit to be R,S,B, and had it at the Chicago show before Ludwig made a few of them this past summer.
They obviously thought it was pretty cool....and it IS!

The craziest wrap job I ever saw was one of Rikki Rockett's kits in 2011 when we played a Poison show.
It had so many colors, and was swirls and thin lines, I thought it was a sparkle lacquer job, but it was all wrap!! It was insane, and NO GAPS!
I can't imagine the time it had to take.

I am an absolute Ludwig junkie and I dig the history behind this finish, BUT, there is no way I would buy it. I thought maybe it would grow on me, but I just can't get into it. Now the red, silver, and blue, that's another story. I really like that. Karl, you're right about the kit that Billy did for Chicago. That kit was killer and I personally saw some of the Ludwig guys gawking at it on several occassions that weekend. Billy does nice work. I've got a Rogers kit I'm sending his way soon.

Beautiful kit. I love that you could tell stories of its origins and dream of the places it traveled...the miles and stories that kit saw and heard. Plus it's a Keystone badged kit...probably 3-ply mahog/poplar/mahog - it's like getting kicked in the face with tone.

Beautiful kit. I love that you could tell stories of its origins and dream of the places it traveled...the miles and stories that kit saw and heard. Plus it's a Keystone badged kit...probably 3-ply mahog/poplar/mahog - it's like getting kicked in the face with tone.

Oh jeez. Here I thought the above photo was the vintage salesman kit. Now I wonder (a) if the story is true, and if so (b) if a kit still exists, and then (c) would it be more valuable than a ridiculous $3,299 for the new kit?